Walk On the Ocean
by blakelybrown
Summary: CH. 3's UP! Otto's back from a 3 month surfing tour, and he can't wait to hang with his best buds in Ocean Shores. But people--and their relationships--change. Will this fact tear the gang apart?
1. InFlight Musings

Chapter 1: In-Flight Musings  
  
"Peanuts or soda?" the perky flight attendant offered for the fifth time, which Otto Rocket politely declined. He peered out his small, oval window at the patchwork quilt of tiny buildings and streets that was beginning to take shape through the cloud cover below.  
  
"Snorrk." The young man sleeping soundly beside Otto stirred in his seat. He lifted the blue, mesh trucker hat off of his face and perched it atop his mop of bleach-blond hair. The boy glanced bleary-eyed at Otto. "Otto- man, how's it hangin'?" he asked sleepily.  
  
"Pretty good, Skylar," Otto replied. "I just wish we were there already."  
  
Skylar nodded. "I can't wait to get in my own bed. And to see this Ocean Shores you keep talkin' up. One week, bro." He held out a balled fist, which Otto lightly punched back with his own. At that, Skylar turned over and commenced his snoring again. Otto smiled and shook his head. Skylar had taken a muscle relaxer before the flight began; he said planes made him jumpy. Now Otto wished he had taken some of the drug when offered it—he had been wide-awake and restless the whole flight. He couldn't stop thinking about all the new experiences he'd had and the familiar life back home he'd left and was soon returning to.  
  
Here he was, on his way back to southern California to finish up a ten week tour across America with the first-ever NSSA Open West Coast All-Stars team. At sixteen, Otto was the youngest member selected in the Men's category, but he had performed very well so far, outsurfing many who were several years older in the various locations the team had competed. For two months, the team had entered surfing competitions, helped with clinics, and attended promotional events in the regions each NSSA conference was held across the United States, for two weeks apiece. They went to Virginia Beach, the Florida Gulf, Northern California, Hawaii, and now were headed back to Ocean Shores, the small town in southern California where the team would participate in the NSSA National Championships. Many team members, like Skylar, were from the Santa Monica area, and when their plane landed (they were flying into Santa Monica, as Ocean Shores did not have a commercial airport) would spend the week before the competition at their respective homes. Otto had had a blast with the guys on the trip—being surrounded by a group of older, extreme sport-loving, carefree-living guys for ten weeks had opened his eyes to all kinds of new things he had never experienced in Ocean Shores. He just hoped the guys would get along with his best friends at home—Twister, Sam, and his sister, Reggie.  
  
Bored, the boy fiddled with a fat, blue-green glass bead attached to the end of one of his auburn-colored dreadlocks. Normally Otto kept his hair back with a green headband, but on the tour he had started letting it hang free, with glass beads decorating the ends that just grazed his bronzed shoulders. Some of the other guys with dreadlocks in the group had worn theirs in this fashion, and Otto had followed suit. To people who didn't know him, Otto's hairstyle signified an attitude of rebelliousness, a statement against social norms, but to those who did, it was just Otto. He had grown dreadlocks since the age of four, when his mother had given up forcing a brush into the unnaturally thick, bushy, reddish hair that Otto staunchly refused to have cut, desiring to achieve the look of the Grunge- era surf bums he observed on the beach. Otto had inherited his unruly locks from his mother, Anna, who had not minded forming her son's hair into matted clumps. She had sported dreadlocks herself when she was younger, around the time she met Otto's father, Ray, while surfing in Hawaii.  
  
Otto sighed. He always felt a dull, aching sadness when he thought about his mother, which, admittedly, wasn't very often. He was just six when she died of cancer, so he was left only with short, snapshot-like memories, such as sitting in her lap in a wicker chair as she tied bits of string around his forming dreads before turning him loose to skateboard in the cul- de-sac. Anna was into extreme sports as much as the rest of her family was, and Otto smiled as he imagined how happy she would be to hear about his latest accomplishments.  
  
As the cities and countryside grew more detailed, Otto pulled out his laptop he used for homework assigned by the team tutor. Because the tour took place during the months of April, May, and June, the kids had to get special permission from their schools to go and were required to study with a tutor. Otto had put forth a minimal amount of effort into his lessons, as usual, and mainly used his laptop as a means to communicate with his best buds back home. Now he opened his email account and reread the letter he had received from Reggie and Twister just the day before:  
Hey Rocket Boy,  
Reggie and Twist here. We're so stoked about you coming home  
tomorrow! Bet you can't wait to hit the waves (or ramps, since  
you may want a break from all that surfing) and scarf some  
chiliburgers at the Shore Shack. Everybody else is excited to  
see you too, even Lars. But Otto, Twister and I [apparently  
Reggie had written the letter] wanna tell you something first,  
before you get home. Over the past month or so, Twister and I  
have felt kind of an attraction toward each other, and we've  
been hanging out more on our own, what with you gone and Sammy  
busy with Computer Club and some new Anime Club he's joined.  
Maybe we've felt this way all along, but we just didn't realize  
it. Anyways, we've decided to try dating. We knew this would  
freak you out, since it is your big sis and your best bro  
together. If you are totally not cool with this when you get  
back, we'll stop seeing each other. Well, see ya soon, Otto!  
~Reg and Twist  
  
Otto x-ed out the page and closed his laptop quickly. He shuddered. He didn't really know what to think about this new development, except that it was, as Reggie said, his "big sis and best bro together," and that was totally weird. To his knowledge, Twister had never had a girlfriend before, and Reggie had liked that guy, Trent, for a while, but it was nothing serious. He guessed it seemed most natural for friends to get together, but every time Otto pictured his sister and Twister kissing he felt nauseous. He wanted to talk about this with Skylar or any of the other guys in the group, but it looked as though everyone else on the plane was blissfully asleep. Otto moaned and fell into a fitful slumber. He dreamed that Reggie and Twister were sitting on a feather bed covered in pillows, floating in the ocean. They were wearing frilly outfits and making goo-goo eyes at each other. Otto, who seemed to be hovering on top of the water at the foot of the bed, saw a figure coming toward him from across the ocean. It was the flight attendant. "Should we join them?" she asked, with a sly smile.  
  
"Ahhh!" Otto jerked awake. He looked out the window and saw the palm tree- lined runway of the Santa Monica Airport. 


	2. Otto's Arrival

Chapter 2: Otto's Arrival  
  
The drive from Ocean Shores to the airport in Santa Monica was strangely quiet, if you didn't count Raymundo's half-humming, half-singing along with the cheesy 80s music radio station and the dull roar of the engine in the blue and white 1980 Toyota Land Cruiser. "The Cruiser" usually remained parked in the shed behind the Rockets' house, due to its "delicate" (run-down) condition, but it had made the cut over Ray's yellow Jeep Wrangler today, as Reggie, Twister, Sam, and later Otto, with all his gear, would be along for the ride.  
  
In the back of the car, Reggie was chewing on the nails of her left hand, her elbow propped up on the open window, as Twister slowly slid his hand over and grasped her right one. A warm feeling seeped into Reggie's stomach, almost squelching the butterflies that had been fluttering around in there all morning. She was excited to see her brother again; that much was true. After 2 months, she actually missed the dorkwad's endless bragging and showboating. However, she was a little worried as to how he would react to Twister and her being together. He had not responded to the email about it she had sent him a few days ago. Maybe he didn't receive it. Or maybe he was just really pissed.  
  
Reggie gave Twister a sidelong glance and giggled as he made a face in reaction to Ray's singing. She still couldn't believe that she had fallen for the kid who was practically her brother, who had, for the previous 17 years of her life, been a fun companion to surf and skateboard with, but had never made her pulse race in the way that it was racing now. It was so strange yet so teen movie cliché, that Reggie didn't know what to think. She did know that she really liked this boy, and Otto, well, Otto could just deal.  
  
Everyone seemed to be bouncing up and down a lot more on the cracked black vinyl bench seats of the Cruiser, and it wasn't long before smoke began pouring out of the hood. "Overheated," Ray stated pleasantly, of this not uncommon occurrence. He pulled off on the side of the road. "Will somebody hand me a jug of water from the trunk?"  
  
Twister reached around and relayed one of the plastic milk jugs filled with water—on hand for just this purpose—to Ray, who popped the hood and walked around to tend to the engine. Reggie snapped out of her own reverie at that moment and noticed that Sam had been quiet most of the ride as well. "Yo, Sammy," Reggie said. "How's it going in the front?"  
  
Sam, who clearly had been staring off into space, jumped and quickly held up the book he had in his lap. "I was just looking through this manual on Lightwave, the computer animation program we're learning in my class at Ocean State." Leave it to Sammy to start the summer off with community classes at the local college.  
  
"Squid, the book's upside-down," Twister pointed out.  
  
"Yeah. Well." Sam replied. "So, who can guess what Otto's gonna say when he first gets off the plane?" he recovered quickly.  
  
"Dude, you guys shoulda seen me in Hawaii. It was Otto-matic!" Reggie mimicked Ottospeak.  
  
"I ruled the waves! None of the competition could touch me!" Twister added.  
  
Sam laughed in agreement with the others. "Yeah, yeah that's great. Wow. And then I wonder what he's gonna say about you two?" He raised his eyebrows quizzically.  
  
Twister and Reggie exchanged hesitant glances. Before either one could reply, Raymundo popped his head through the driver's side door. "All fixed guys," he said cheerily. "We can be on our way."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Santa Monica Airport was bustling with excited travelers arriving and departing for beach vacations. You could tell the difference between the vacationers and locals just by observing their tans—those just arriving from other areas of the state and country were quite pale, while those just leaving displayed painful sunburns. Most of the locals sported deep tans, with the exception of Sam, whose fair skin burned easily in the sun. Twister's red hair, freckles, and olive complexion made an unlikely combination, though in the summer, the sun bleached his hair into a more strawberry blond color.  
  
As the kids waited for Ray to confirm Otto's flight arrival at the information desk, Reggie noticed some guys gawking at her from one of the sitting areas nearby. They were obviously shoobies—the gang's term for tourists or vacationers—with pale complexions and loud Hawaiian shirts, and they were pointing and winking at her. Reggie quickly turned her back on them. Flustered, she removed the sunglasses perched on her head and ran her fingers through her shoulder-length, magenta-highlighted hair. She couldn't pretend she hadn't noticed the increased guy attention toward her this past year. So she had started wearing a little makeup when she went out. So the spaghetti-strapped tank tops and jean shorts she normally wore had begun to display more curves. So what? Guys were supposed to look for more than just, well, looks, and besides, she already had a man. Reggie looked over at Twister, who was now riding one of those pushcarts used for carrying luggage like a scooter, trying to make it flip, while Sam laughed hysterically. Ok, well, maybe not a man. Reggie rolled her eyes.  
  
"Damn, I wish I brought my video camera; that woulda been funny to record. And I could've gotten Otto-man's big entrance." When Twister noticed Reggie watching him, he sauntered over and put his arm around her. "How ya doin', babe?" he asked in a mock-seductive voice. Reggie rolled her eyes again. Twister could be so goofy sometimes. He tickled her stomach and Reggie started play-fighting him back.  
  
"Arggh! Public place! Public place!" Sam covered his eyes.  
  
"Whatever Sam," Reggie said. "So Twist, any progress with convincing your parents to get you a car?"  
  
"No," Twister said mournfully. "After all Lars's wrecks, they don't think they can trust me either, and they can't afford the insurance."  
  
"Yeah, I dunno about Otto. I can't see Dad buying him a car any time soon, even if he does pass the driver's test." Because Otto turned 16 right before he left for the tour, he hadn't had time to get his license. "Looks like it's just Sam and me for now."  
  
"You know I am happy to give you all rides in my Volvo, anytime," Sam said sarcastically. His mother, always concerned for Sam's safety, entrusted him with her Volvo station wagon when he got his license earlier in the year. Sam was less than enthused.  
  
"Hey, kids!" Ray turned around from the counter with excitement on his face. "Otto will be arriving at Gate 19! Let's hurry!" Everyone made their way down the long airport hallway to the proper gate. As they took their places near the turnstiles in front of the boarding tunnel, Ray began to pass out the flowered, multi-colored leis that Tito, his business partner and cook at the Shore Shack, had provided for the occasion.  
  
"Daaad," Reggie complained. "This is California, not Hawaii. Why do we have to do this?"  
  
"Relax, Rocket-Girl," Ray said calmly. "Tito felt bad that he couldn't leave the Shack to pick up Otto with us, so he wanted me to 'bring him in spirit.'" Ray had already donned a lei with purple flowers, and held a blue one ready to adorn Otto when got off the plane.  
  
Reggie sighed and put hers on. "Still, it's embarrassing," she said. Twister and Sam followed suite, snorting with laughter.  
  
Suddenly a voice called out on the loudspeaker: "Delta Flight 238 from Richmond has now arrived. Passengers will exit the plane shortly." Ten minutes later, a large group of young people appeared at the mouth of the tunnel. From their tanned, toned bodies and surfer clothes, it was not hard to tell that this was Otto's group. Finally Otto arrived, near the end of the pack, talking to a boy with blond, shaggy hair. He lifted his dark shades off his eyes and surveyed the crowd for his friends and family. In a second, Raymundo was there, smothering him in a hug.  
  
"Hey Dad, hey guys...mmmph, mmph....are these...flowers?" When Ray finally released his grip, Otto turned to greet Twister and Sam. "Aw, it's so great to see you guys!" The three exchanged one of their famous "woogity" handshakes. Then Otto turned to Reggie. She suddenly felt so glad to see him again that she forgot all about her nervousness over the whole "her and Twister" thing. The two exchanged a warm hug.  
  
"Whoa, that was weird," Otto said when they finished hugging.  
  
"Yeah, let's not do that again," Reggie agreed. "But good to see ya, bro."  
  
Otto bid farewell to the other members of the team, with promises to see them all again next week at the championships. Reggie noticed that several members of the girls' team made sure to tell her brother goodbye as well.  
  
"Shotgun!" Otto claimed, when they reached the car in the airport parking lot.  
  
"Yeah, I guess it's only fair," Sam conceded. He started to crawl in the back after Twister, but then paused. "Oh, Reggie, you can go first, so you can sit by...I mean, you're the smallest so you should sit in the middle."  
  
Reggie's face reddened as she saw Otto looking straight at her. She couldn't read his expression, because his dark glasses covered his eyes. "Yeah, that would make sense," she said.  
  
After the car was loaded up with people and Otto's luggage, Twister made sure to steer the conversation toward Otto's favorite subject: himself. "Hey, those are some cool beads in your dreads, bro," he said.  
  
"Yeah, and uh, nice new threads," Reggie added, referring to Otto's vintage-looking orange and green printed hooded sweatshirt and long, cut- off corduroy shorts. He did seem to look cooler somehow.  
  
"Thanks," said Otto. "I guess the other guys kinda influenced my style, lookswise. But as for surfing style—they got to learn from the master!" And Otto was off, regaling tales of 50 foot waves in Hawaii, the total shoobie-ness of Florida, the competition during a rainstorm in Virginia, etc. His talk held Ray, Twister, and Sam captive for most of the ride home; Reggie listened for a while and then stared idly out the window. The gang was finally back together again, but it wouldn't be the same. What if she wanted to go to the movies or something with just Twister and had to tell Otto and Sam they couldn't come? Could she hold hands with Twister in front of Otto? Reggie felt uneasy about the whole situation.  
  
"Man, I really have to pee!" Twister announced, after they had been on the road for about 30 minutes, bumping along to an old Men at Work song.  
  
"Can you hold on, Twist? We're not really near any stores or gas stations right now." Ray said, looking at him in the rearview mirror. They were driving on a long, flat strip of highway, surrounded on both sides by empty, desert-like terrain.  
  
"Um, I don't think I can," Twister strained, holding up the empty Big Gulp orange soda that he had purchased at a gas station outside the airport.  
  
"Actually, I gotta go, too. I held it on the plane because those tiny bathrooms freak me out. Dad, will you just pull over?" Otto asked.  
  
"Well, okay," said Ray. He pulled the car off on the side of the road, and the two boys quickly jumped out.  
  
"That pile of rocks over there looks like it needs watering," Twister suggested. He and Otto tramped over to the spot, not 10 feet from the car, and proceeded to "water it."  
  
"Ugh, they are so weird. Look, they're standing there talking to each other while they pee." Reggie said, exasperated. "You sure you don't have to go too, Sam?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm sure," Sam chuckled.  
  
"Yo, Reggie!" Otto called from outside the car. When she looked, the two boys both dropped their shorts and mooned her.  
  
"Ewww! You guys are so gross! I did not need to see that!" she screamed.  
  
Ray, who was busy flipping radio stations, had not noticed the commotion but called the boys back to the car anyway. "We need to get back for the Welcome Home party Tito is throwing at the Shack," he said.  
  
"Party? For me?" Otto asked. "Excellent!"  
  
Reggie noticed that Twister's cheeks were a little red when he took his place beside her in the back seat. "Sorry," he said sheepishly. "we were just kidding around." He gave her a hopeful smile that was just so cute that Reggie couldn't be mad at him. They both dozed off, their heads almost touching against the back of the seat.  
  
It was dark when Reggie woke up. The car wasn't moving. "Are we home?" Twister asked groggily.  
  
"Not yet," Ray answered cheerily. "Will somebody hand me a jug of water from the back?" 


	3. All Together Now?

Thanks so much for the reviews! And yeah, I forgot what kind of car the Rockets have, so I made one up. Sorry! I don't really watch the show anymore, just read the fanfics, so I apologize in advance for any more factual discrepancies because of this reason. I'm glad y'all liked the references to Virginia—I also have family in Richmond, and used to go to Va. Beach with my cousins every summer.  
  
I'm trying to write this story from each character's viewpoint—that is, every chapter is seen through the eyes of a different character, though still with a third-person narrator. The first chapter was Otto, obviously, and the second was Reggie. I think I could've made that more clear, but I'll work on that for this chapter. Also, I'm trying to work in some tension and developments between other characters, so that the whole thing's not about "Otto's reaction to Reggie/Twister." And just a warning, the maturity level is going up a little with this chapter, with some sexual references and drinking. So, here it goes.... *****  
  
Chapter 3: All Together Now?  
  
The colored lights laced along the border of the Shore Shack were still twinkling brightly when they arrived, and Twister was glad. After being cooped up in a car crammed with people for most of the day, he was ready to get out, stretch, and more importantly—eat! Everyone hurried from the dark rear parking lot into the Shack, which held a small crowd of people, a not-so-small amount of food, and a banner hanging over the lunch counter that read, "Welcome Home, Otto!"  
  
"Aloha! Aloha, Otto! Welcome back, lil' cuz," Tito appeared and pressed the boy into his great, round belly. The other guests already present—Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez, Lars, Trish and Sherry, the Stimpletons, and Mrs. Dullard also came forward to greet him. Twister's first move, however, was toward the lunch counter, which was covered with a tantalizing spread of burgers, fries, ice cream, and cake.  
  
"You mingle, I'll grab us some grub," Twister called to Otto.  
  
"Thanks, man," Otto grinned, before Mrs. Stimpleton grabbed his face for a wet kiss on the cheek.  
  
Twister busily loaded up two plates with burgers and fries. He noticed a pitcher of strawberry-banana milkshake on the counter and filled up an extra glass for Reggie, since he knew it was her favorite. With both Rockets home now, Twister couldn't be happier. He walked over to where the girl was standing, carefully balancing the heavy plates and glasses. Reggie was talking to Trish and Sherry, two of her friends from school.  
  
"Hey Twist," Trish said slyly. She lifted up the bottom of the boy's t-shirt, displaying his stomach. "Damn, look at those abs," she said. "Reg, I can see why you want a piece of that."  
  
Twister's cheeks reddened. In the past year, Trish had become quite the expert when it came to guys. She was always making sexual comments toward him, jokingly, of course, but it embarrassed Twister. He had noticed more girls talking to him as he grew taller and more muscular, but the only girl he really cared about was now standing in front of him, her cheeks also red from Trish's last comment.  
  
"Remember what we talked about, girl," Trish winked towards Twister and went off to get some food. Sherry giggled and followed her.  
  
"What was that all about?" Twister asked as he offered Reggie one of the milkshakes.  
  
"Oh, nothing. Just Trish being Trish." Reggie said. "She thinks that now that we're dating, she needs to give me, like, advice on sex and stuff."  
  
Twister nearly dropped everything he was carrying on the floor. Reggie smiled and rolled her eyes at Trish's "helpfulness," while Twister forcefully attempted to harness his highly active sixteen-year-old imagination and just concentrate on following Reggie to the circle of people surrounding Otto in the dining area.  
  
*****  
  
After a while, Twister had quite a stomachache from his constant intake of refreshments, but he was still enthralled with the stories Otto continued to tell about his trip. He sure wished he could've been surfing around the country for a couple of months, seeing new places and meeting new people. "But then," he thought. "Me and Reggie might not have...wait...Reggie?" Twister suddenly noticed that Reggie was no longer in the chair beside him. He had been so caught up in Otto's talk that he hadn't noticed her leave. He turned to his other side and asked Sam of her whereabouts.  
  
Sam had stopped paying attention to Otto as well. He looked nervously from his watch to the side door of the Shack. "Reggie got up and went to the back about 20 minutes ago," Sam said. "But hey, I just remembered my mom wanted me home soon. It's getting late." He started to inch toward the door.  
  
Twister raised his eyebrows. "Sam, your mom just left a little while ago. And it's only 9:30. Remember, it's summer vacation, dude!"  
  
"Yeah, I know. It's just that I have to...do some chores tonight, yeah. So I'll see you guys tomorrow."  
  
"Ok, peace." Twister said to Sam's retreating figure. He shook his head and got up to go find Reggie. In the meantime, Tito had taken the reigns from Otto when he moved on to the Hawaii portion of his trip, and was now rambling on about he and Ray's past surfing escapades down in the Islands. Twister figured he could slip out unnoticed.  
  
Light spilled out into the kitchen from the supply closet at the far end of the restaurant. Twister passed through the dark, empty kitchen to the closet doorway, where he found Reggie trying to scoop millions of plastic straws into a garbage bag. She looked up when she saw Twister and sighed. "Raymundo asked me to bring out some more forks and spoons, but the box was on the top shelf. When I tried to get it, I knocked over this gigi-normous box of straws. To bad they didn't come wrapped, 'cause now I've got to throw them all away."  
  
"I'll help you," Twister offered. He crouched down on the floor and began to shove the dirty straws into the bag.  
  
"Thanks," Reggie said, pushing a loose strand of hair from her face. Twister couldn't help gazing at her for a minute. "Damn, she is pretty," he thought.  
  
"Hey Twist, promisemeyouwon'twannahangoutwithOttomorethanmethissummer," Reggie suddenly blurted.  
  
"Huh?" Twister replied. The two were squatting face-to-face on the floor.  
  
"Sorry. I meant, now that Otto's back, I'm worried that you guys will wanna spend all your time together, like you used to, and, well, leave me out." Reggie confessed.  
  
"No way! Otto is my best bro, but you're my best girl. Whoa, sorry, that was cheesy."  
  
"Yeah, cheesy, like your breath! How many orders of Tito's cheesy fries did you eat up there?" Reggie worried expression changed to a sour one.  
  
"Wh-h-h-at did you say?" Twister purposely breathed in her face.  
  
"Ack! Breath mint! Breath mint!" Reggie laughed and tossed her tin of Altoids at him.  
  
Twister popped two in his mouth and tried again. "H-h-h-how about that?"  
  
"Much better," Reggie replied. Twister leaned in closer and kissed her. The first kiss was a brief one, but the second time Twister leaned in, neither he nor Reggie pulled away. Reggie put her hand at the back of his neck, caressing his light red hair. Twister gently rolled her onto her back on the floor, and the two continued making out. After awhile, Twister slipped a tentative hand up Reggie's shirt and over her bra. Instead of slapping it away, Reggie responded by reaching down and lightly brushing her fingers across the skin underneath the elastic band of his boxers. Twister shivered involuntarily. He wished they could go on like this forever, but soon Reggie was gently pushing him away, standing up, brushing herself off.  
  
"C'mon, Twist. It sounds like people are getting ready to leave out there, and they're probably starting to wonder about us. Oh, and do you think you could try to talk to Otto? He never responded to the email I sent him about us dating, and I think he'll open up more to you."  
  
Twister lay on his stomach and groaned. "Okay. You go on. I'll be there in a minute," he said into the floor. Sometimes he hated being a guy. He waited until the physical evidence of his enthusiasm toward the prior activity had subsided before making his way out the door.  
  
Twister was smoothing his hair and had just placed his backwards baseball cap back on his head when he ran smack into Lars, who was standing with his arms folded at the corner of the stoves. "Yo. I just saw Rocket- dork's sister pass through here a few minutes ago, lookin' just as hot 'n' bothered as you. Now if you and your girlfriend want to be screwin' in the supply closet...."  
  
"So what if we were?" Twister interjected. His brother often tried to get a rise out of him, and lately Twister had been challenging him at his own game.  
  
"Well, uh, I mean, I just thought you'd come to your big bro first, that's all," Lars said, caught off guard. "For tips from the master." Lars was two years older than Twister and naturally saw himself as cooler, wiser, and more experienced.  
  
Twister snorted. If he and Reggie ever did decide to have sex, he sure wouldn't go to Lars for advice—even though he had, admittedly, had way more experience with girls when he was Twister's age. Twister didn't know what the girls saw in Lars, but it must've been more than a long-haired high school dropout with a shifty look in his eyes, a look that alternately meant he had just gotten in some major trouble or that he was ready to pound the living crap out of Twister.  
  
"Just be careful, okay?" Lars popped Twister in the back of the head and walked off.  
  
"Brotherly love," Twister thought. "Yeah, right."  
  
*****  
At the front of the Shack the party was finally breaking up, with Sherry and Trish making future mall trip plans with Reggie and Tito trying to convince Twister's parents to take home an extra pineapple-coconut layer cake. As Lars brushed past them, Mr. Rodriguez called out, "Where are you going?"  
  
"Out," Lars replied, after he was already in the parking lot.  
  
"Ay dios mio," Mr. Rodriguez muttered, pulling on his black mustache in frustration. The Rodriguezes had insisted that Lars get a job at Ray's rental shop to pay rent on his room in the basement of their house after he dropped out of high school the beginning of his senior year. Though he kept up that end of the bargain, Lars continued to run loose with his gang of friends in Ocean Shores, and his parents were past the point of trying to control him. Twister knew about the drinking, drugs, and occasional small robberies that Lars was a part of, but he tried not to worry his parents with details of his brother's behavior and on the whole stayed out of trouble himself.  
  
"Hey Twist, why don't you stay over?" Otto offered.  
  
"Can I, Dad?" Twister asked.  
  
"That's fine, Mijo," Mr. Rodriguez replied. "Goodnight, Rockets and Tito; thank you for having us."  
  
"Buenas noche," Mrs. Rodriguez added, kissing Twister on the cheek.  
  
As soon as Twister's parents left, Otto exclaimed, "Alright! Let's go to the Pier! I have a major urge to ride some 'coasters."  
  
"Otto, the amusement park closes in 15 minutes," Ray tapped his watch.  
  
"Aw, well we can at least check out Rocket Beach. I've missed that place so much!"  
  
"It is a nice night to be out," Ray agreed. "But somebody has to help me clean up these dishes, and it's not gonna be Tito, since he prepared all the food in the first place."  
  
"I'll do it," Reggie volunteered, feeling guilty about the straws. "You two go ahead."  
  
"And talk to him," she mouthed to Twister, while glancing meaningfully at her brother.  
  
Twister nodded and headed out the door with Otto. Once outside, Otto had a mischievous look in his eye. "Let's make a stop by Lars's room first." To Twister's protests, he reminded him that Lars had said he was going out a little while ago.  
  
"Well, okay," Twister conceded. The boys snuck into the basement of the Rodriguez house by way of an open window that Lars used for such purposes of his own, namely when he misplaced his key while drunk or high. They went to the mini refrigerator partially concealed in the corner of the room, and from it took two beers each, dropping them in the deep side pockets of their cargo shorts. Otto pulled out a third beer and stashed it in the front pocket of his hooded sweatshirt for good measure. Twister didn't feel bad about taking the beer from Lars; after all the times he had "borrowed" money from Twister over the years and never paid him back, he figured he owed him a couple.  
  
The boys made their way down the boardwalk, parallel to the beach, until they came to a spot absent of streetlights. They veered right onto a wooden walkway that cut across the dunes and jutted out like a pirate ship's plank above the flat beach for a few feet before turning into wooden steps that led to the sand below. There was one dimly glowing overhead light here, which bugs and local teenagers alike gathered 'round late at night to pass the time and not get caught. Otto plopped down on the edge of the platform, rested his feet on the top step, popped open his first beer, and gazed out at the ocean.  
  
"Man, it feels good out here. Feels good to be home," he said to Twister, who had followed his action and was taking a swig of his own beer. He tried to hide the grimace on his face when the foamy, bitter liquid hit his tongue. It did feel like old times again, sneaking a beer, sometimes cigarettes, out on the beach at night with Otto. Talking about nothing important. Just shooting the shit. They talked a little more about Otto's adventures and the surfing championships that they were both looking forward to the next week.  
  
"You'll get to meet all the mad crazy folks I hung out with on my team. Oh, and my buddy, Skylar, is coming Friday, before everyone else gets here for the competition, so he can hang with us this weekend. He's pretty tight."  
  
"Awesome," Twister replied. Otto had finished two of his beers and dropped the empty cans in the rusted trashcan anchored directly below the platform. Twister had managed to gulp down one, but while Otto was leaning over, he poured half of his second beer out on the sand. How Twister wished he were drinking a monster chocolate shake from the Shore Shack instead!  
  
The boys were silent for a while as they both stared out into the vast dark smudge that was the ocean, listening to the booming sound it made as it connected with the shore. Finally Twister cleared his throat and began, "So Otto-man, Reggie wrote you that email about how she and I are, you know, goin' out, and well....I guess it's kinda weird for you...."  
  
"No shit, Sherlock," Otto muttered, his eyes narrowing. He didn't seem to be protesting talk of the subject, so Twister continued:  
  
"...It just sort of happened, man. We didn't plan for it to. We'd always been just friends until about a month ago when things sort of...clicked. And Reggie's just such an amazing girl—she's pretty, good at sports...."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, so you dig my sister," Otto held his hands up. "If she's gonna have a boyfriend it might as well be an okay guy like you."  
  
"Wow, uh, thanks, man," Twister said. Coming from Otto, that was quite a compliment. Twister knew how hard it was for Otto to praise people other than himself.  
  
"Yeah, well, you better not hurt her or anything, 'cause I know where you live," Otto continued half-jokingly. "Let me have that," he said as he took Twister's last beer, which by that time was half-full and warm. He chugged the remaining liquid and tossed it, along with his third empty can, into the trashcan. "Race you back to the house?"  
  
It was then Twister knew that Otto had disclosed all he wanted to say about the present subject. Though there was probably more on Otto's mind, Twister was content with what he had gotten out of his friend for now—and he actually seemed okay with Reggie and him dating. "You're on!" Twister replied, and the boys flew down the boardwalk. They both knew that these type games at their age were a little babyish, but their heads were buzzing from the alcohol, and it felt good to stretch and test their muscles in the cool night air.  
  
*****  
  
Otto was first to slam his hand down on the mailbox, with Twister close behind. The two boys stood panting under the streetlight, not ready to go inside yet.  
  
"Twister, you better not become a lame-o and just go shopping with my sister all the time and not want to board or play hockey or anything." Otto said suddenly.  
  
"Whoa, why would I do that? And Reggie hates shopping," Twister somehow felt like he had heard this before.  
  
"Bros come first, remember that," Otto said seriously putting his hand on Twister's shoulder. Twister grabbed it and attempted a wrestling move, which only resulted in Otto putting him in a headlock. After horsing around a bit, the two finally disappeared into the house.  
  
The first thing Twister saw when he entered the living room of the Rockets' home was Reggie sitting on the couch, looking extremely bored and slightly pissed off.  
  
"Glad to see you two finally made it back," she said sarcastically, idly flipping channels on the TV.  
  
"Yeah, we kinda lost track of time," Twister said honestly.  
  
"Sorry you missed out, sis, but let's all go to Madtown tomorrow! After 8 weeks of surfing, I could use some time at the skate park!" Otto exclaimed.  
  
Reggie's face immediately brightened. "Okay, I'll tell Sam." She walked over to the computer that was set up in the corner of the living room and sent Sam an instant message telling him about the plans. Instead of a reply, however, Sam's away message popped up. "That's odd," Reggie said. "He's 'away.' Sam is always around his computer at night, usually until about 1 or 2 AM. I wonder where he is?"  
  
"Hmm, beats me. He was acting weird earlier tonight, too. But maybe he just went to bed early." Twister suggested.  
  
"I'm sure the Squid is fine. We can bust up in his room tomorrow and wake him up," Otto said. "But now I'm ready to pass out. We all should rest up for an action-packed day at Madtown tomorrow!"  
  
Reggie and Twister followed Otto up the stairs. While Twister waited for Otto to finish up in the bathroom, he conferred with Reggie in the hallway. "Are you mad at me or something?" he asked.  
  
"No, just annoyed that you went off with Otto for, like, ever, right after our talk. But anyways, did you talk to him about us? What did he say?"  
  
"He said he was cool with it, more or less," Twister replied. "Everything's cool. And it will be good for the four of us to hang out tomorrow."  
  
"Yeah. The gang's all back together again," Reggie agreed. "Well, 'nite." They exchanged a brief kiss on the lips before they parted—Reggie to her room and Twister to Otto's.  
  
*****  
  
Long after Otto fell asleep, snoring lightly, Twister lay awake on the mattress and old cowboy-print sleeping bag on the floor, turning things over in his mind. Reggie and Otto both had warned him against spending too much time with the other sibling, and if he didn't watch out, he might screw up two good friendships, plus the first real romantic relationship he'd had. And to top all of that, Sam was acting sketchy. Where was he? Twister sighed and rolled over. It wasn't that big of a deal. And they were all going to skate together tomorrow, so it would be just like old times. Wouldn't it? Twister tried to make his mind go blank, listening to the soft whir of the ceiling fan and Otto's snoring. Finally, he succumbed to sleep.  
  
*****  
  
Sorry I took so long to update, and sorry this chapter is long—I tend to drag out everything the characters are doing sometimes. And I can't seem to get each paragraph or new dialogue to indent. I'm using MS Word 2000, so that may have something to do with it. If anyone has any tips, let me know. Well, hope you enjoyed it, but unfortunately I must say that I will not be updating until at least June, as I am about to go to Europe for a few months. I've got some great ideas for the coming chapters, though, so sit tight!  
Later! Much!  
blakelybrown 


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